


your hand in mine

by wooziya



Series: explosions in the sky [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Drama, How Do I Tag This, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, everyone has powers, soonhoon are made for each other, they defeat bad guys and train all the time apparently
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 23:31:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15784383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wooziya/pseuds/wooziya
Summary: Soonyoung had once saved him from a burning classroom, and now Jihoon was saving him from his bare recklessness.But one thing was for sure: they were always going to save each other.





	your hand in mine

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday pam <3 (it is still your birthday here, at least) i wanted to write you something and we both like superheroes and soonhoon, so here is soonhoon (and the gang) as a bunch of superhuman kids. this is a mess though, so i apologise in advance T_T
> 
> \---  
> i'm not good with action, and i may or may not have mentioned /all/ the members here but...#itried. in this universe, however, they are a team of superheroes who are good at what they do
> 
> title is from explosions in the sky's song of the same name. i love it a lot and i wrote this entire fic to it playing on repeat n_n  
> \---
> 
>  **EDIT 29/08/18:**   
>  i was asked for a breakdown of their powers and so i thought i'd list it down here! don't worry about missing characters in this one because i'm happy to announce that i'll be writing more for this universe soon! n_n so stay tuned~  
> jihoon - can shield/block, negate others' powers, feel energies of people around him  
> soonyoung - teleport, super strength, GOLDEN WHIP  
> seungcheol - leader, tactician, super strength  
> jisoo - predictions (short, only if things are decided/unshielded)  
> jeonghan - 'steal' senses but one at a time (for now)  
> wonwoo - super speed  
> junhui - expert marksman, sick ass eyesight  
> minghao - elementalist  
> mingyu - projections  
> seungkwan - can communicate with computers and all machines  
> hansol - weapons expert, genius, builds them weapons  
> chan - controls gravity  
> seokmin - healing uwu

The last time Soonyoung had tried to act solo in one of their missions outside the training room, he had ended up being thrown across the city by an android wolf the size of a house after he’d tried to confuse it by teleporting around it. His whip had gotten caught in one of the creature’s panels, the scuffle resulting in three broken ribs and many more limbs sprained and dislocated.

Luckily for them all, Seokmin had been on standby to heal, or else the team would have been down a fighter. Soonyoung had been relocated to covering Minghao and Jisoo by Seungcheol afterwards.

Jihoon remembered the ragged sight of a reckless, injured Soonyoung as if it’d only been last week. Probably because it had only been _two_ weeks since then.

What the hell Seuncheol was thinking now, putting Soonyoung in again for solo training in one of Mingyu’s sequences, he had no idea. 

“He’s still not ready,” he told Seungcheol, who was standing behind him.

They were both watching through the protective glass as Soonyoung darted in and out of view, just narrowly avoiding a sequence of falling boulders above him. When Mingyu sent out a flurry of flaming arrows to his right, Soonyoung hesitated for a beat before uncoiling his whip from his wrist, sending it flying around a car and pulling it in front of him to use as a shield. It blocked them from him in time, but one managed to pass through, flying past Soonyoung a hair’s width from his suit.

“He’ll be fine,” Seungcheol muttered, arms crossing over his chest. He was watching Soonyoung carefully, a glint in his sharp eyes and determination etched all over his face.

Jihoon frowned with a shake of his head. “You’re better off teaming him off with Minghao and Jisoo for now. He’s too reckless to do anything on his own.”

Seungcheol’s mouth twitched, as if wanting to smile or laugh. “You have to admit dumb and brave sounds pretty charming.”

“His kind of dumb and brave will land him injured beyond healing one day,” Jihoon chided.

Soonyoung let out a yell loud enough to pierce through the semi-soundproof control room. Mingyu had just summoned a hellhound that Jihoon thought resembled the last beast the other boy had tried to fight last time. It was charging at a great speed, sharp claws and teeth bared to attack. Soonyoung stared down at it, scowling.

“If he’s smart,” Jihoon said, tapping his foot in impatience, “he’ll dash behind it and use his whip to shut it down.”

Soonyoung waited until the very last moment – until the hellhound was practically spitting in his face – to wrap his whip around its bloody neck, hoisting himself onto its back. Now he was _riding_ it, of all things.

Jihoon groaned. “Told you so.”

Seungcheol remained unconvinced by his comments. The slight nod of his head as he watched Soonyoung told Jihoon this. He looked curious, as if analysing Soonyoung’s movements. For what, Jihoon didn’t know and didn’t care, but he was sure if Soonyoung was on the front line on his own on their next mission, he was sure to do something stupid – like this – and _die_.

Seungcheol pressed one of the buttons on the dashboard in front. It connected him to Mingyu instantly, who responded with a “yes, boss?”

“Hit him with something harder. Give him more monsters to deal with,” Seungcheol commanded.

“Er,” Mingyu muttered, “are you sure about that? Have you seen him –“

"Just do it."

Mingyu grunted into the microphone. Jihoon kept his eyes on Soonyoung, focusing on his sweat-matted hair and fierce expression. One second, he was riding the hellhound with his whip strangling it, and the next, he was being thrown off its back after it skidded to a halt in front of a giant ape that had just appeared in the direction it was running towards.

Soonyoung’s mouth gaped wide open, apparently forgetting himself in the training room. Jihoon frowned again; there it was, the lack of preparation.

He only wanted Soonyoung to do well so they could have a more solid front next time, but it seemed he just wasn’t ready yet.

He stared at Seungcheol with narrowed eyes. The latter slid his eyes to his for a moment before turning his attention back to Soonyoung, shrugging it off. “Mingyu’s projections, not mine.”

“I’m going off what we’ve faced before,” Mingyu added through the comms.

“Soonyoung wasn’t there when he did the giant ape,” Jihoon mumbled, frown deepening. It had been a team of him, Seungcheol, Seokmin, Jeonghan and Minghao over a year ago, during a random attack on the outskirts of the city. It hadn’t been pretty, but they’d managed to defeat it in time to save the city from the rough end of its wrath.

“You never know,” Seungcheol said, “he might need to fight against one some day.”

Jihoon was doubtful of this, but he didn’t say so. In the other room, Soonyoung was now teleporting from rooftop to rooftop, trying to get high enough to face the ape. He had his whip crackling around him, its golden glow flashing with Soonyoung’s lightning steps. He hit it first, winding his whip around its head, but its gigantic fists were swinging around trying to catch him.

Jihoon sighed wearily. He turned around, deciding enough was enough. “This isn’t going to end well,” he told Seungcheol.

He made to leave, trying to drown out the sound of Mingyu’s whirring simulations the closer he got to the door, trying to forget Soonyoung was behind the window, being stupid. _A_ _s always_ , he thought.

Seungcheol let him go but called Jihoon’s name before he could leave. Jihoon turned. “You train him,” Seungcheol suggested, cocking a brow at him in a challenge. “You’re worried he’ll hurt himself because he’s not good enough yet. You’re good with each other. _You_ train him.”

Jihoon opened his mouth to argue – the idea was sure to end in disaster – but he simply pursed his lips. It wasn’t that they were _good_ for each other, it was that Jihoon balanced out Soonyoung’s stupidity, having known him long enough to know what he was like.

And he definitely wasn’t worried because Soonyoung was a danger to himself. Not at all. He could be a danger for the entire team one day. _Of course_ Jihoon was going to be worried.

He sighed at Seungcheol, resigned. “I’ll wait for him in the med bay,” he muttered, reaching for the doorknob and stepping outside.

 

Soonyoung teleported into the med bay an hour later with a dozen bleeding scratches all over him. Jihoon sat up from his chair, putting his phone away.

Soonyoung grinned at him as he sat down on the bed, staining the white sheet with smoky ash and specks of red. “Looks like it’s my lucky day. Are you my nurse today?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes. “Shut up. Seokmin’s at school so I’ll do your fucking wounds.”

Wincing, Soonyoung moved to position himself comfortably on the bed. He clutched his wrist with a hand, holding it out. Jihoon grabbed the first-aid kid from the cupboard across the room before making his way over.

“Will you kiss me better instead?” Soonyoung teased.

Jihoon debated kicking him but seeing as though the other boy looked thoroughly worn out, he decided against it. He gave no reply either, because he wanted to save his breath for scolding him later on.

Instead, he placed the kit beside Soonyoung, taking out some antiseptic wipes and bandages. He started on Soonyoung’s arms first, where it felt the safest looking down at them. He was sure if he looked up at the other’s face to find him smiling or laughing or some kind of emotion other than miserable, he was going to punch him.

“How did I do?” Soonyoung asked once Jihoon stared tending to his wounds.

Jihoon paused to stare at him with indifference. “Terrible. Absolutely terrible.”

To his chagrin, Soonyoung _grinned_. “Were you impressed?”

“You’re impossible,” Jihoon breathed. “This isn’t funny, Soonyoung. You’re training because Seungcheol thinks you’re good enough to do shit on your own. But do you know what I saw out there?” His fists clenched around the bandage he was about to cut to size. “Awful decision making. It was like you wanted to get hurt and decided last minute, ‘never mind, I’m going to live!’. I know it was a simulation and it wasn’t real, but you if you pull that kind of shit when we’re really out there, you’re going to get really fucking hurt.”

He was breathing through his nose now, frustrating pulsing through him. He was staring down at Soonyoung’s charred suit, the swift material of it intact but still stained with the aftermath of his training. He didn’t realise he was gripping onto the bandage roll until Soonyoung’s bruised hands came up to cover his fists.

“Are you done?” Soonyoung asked softly. He took the bandages out of Jihoon’s hands, settling them back down into the kit.

Jihoon shook his head furiously, lips stretched into a tight line on his face. “Yes. No – _fuck_. I could hit you.” He looked up to find Soonyoung staring at him, eyes roaming around his face.

He really wanted to punch him now, to look away and take a swing at him, because it was starting to feel too hot in the room, and his neck and his cheeks were burning out of control.

Soonyoung smiled weakly, thumbs caressing Jihoon’s fists loose. “It’s just practice, Jihoon. Seungcheol wants me to start now so I can get better and be ready for our next big mission.”

Jihoon groaned, shaking his head again. He had no argument – he didn’t want to justify his refusal to let Soonyoung act on his own. He just knew that it didn’t feel right. Soonyoung didn’t seem ready, and Jihoon didn’t want to go in next time blind like this. Soonyoung was their second-best strongarm, and they needed him. But he didn’t have Seungcheol’s lifetime of training, or his mental capacity to anticipate and attack.

No, Soonyoung was a reckless force who didn’t know his own power.

Jihoon slipped his hands away from Soonyoung and picked up the bandages again. He sighed, pursing his lips. He didn’t want to argue about it anymore.

“I will help you,” Jihoon found himself saying once he was done with a majority of Soonyoung’s visible injuries.

Soonyoung looked at him thoughtfully. “What do you mean?”

Jihoon wiped dried blood off a gash on Soonyoung’s neck with wipes, gently dabbing. Soonyoung winced at the sting, but he held himself steady.

“You need to work on combat and fighting difficult things,” Jihoon said. “I, apparently, happen to be well acquainted with both of those.”

“You are pretty difficult,” Soonyoung commented, lips curling into a small smile.

Jihoon was hesitant to smile, but Soonyoung was knowingly waiting for it. When he finally did, the latter’s smile grew wide with him; lovely, despite his charred face and chaotic mess of hair.

“Yeah,” Jihoon muttered quietly. “I am.”

“You’re a challenge I’m willing to work with.” Soonyoung shrugged breezily. The unexpected comment left Jihoon speechless, unsure of how to respond.

Instead, he checked Soonyoung all over, realising how silly he looked with so many patches of bandages covering him. He was more injured than he’d anticipated, but they were going to have to wait until Seokmin returned to properly heal him.

Clearing his throat, Jihoon stepped back, admiring his artwork. “I don’t think I did too bad.”

Soonyoung let out a breathless laugh. “I trust you,” he said, pushing himself off the bed. His face scrunched up in pain, and Jihoon rushed to his side, sliding an arm around his waist.

“Don’t go around teleporting just yet, okay? I’ll take you to your room,” he muttered, placing Soonyoung’s arm around his shoulder.

“Living room instead,” Soonyoung said, grinning despite the build-up of sweat on his temples. “Let’s play some video games. I want to kick your ass at something.”

“Alright, but keep in mind I’ve only just patched you up. Can you handle another beating?”

Soonyoung threw his head back with hearty laughter as Jihoon led him out of the room. “Oh, that’s really funny, Jihoon. Just watch the fuck out, yeah?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes at him, but he was smiling. “You’re all talk and no game, Kwon Soonyoung. Bring it on.”

 

 

 

Soonyoung was a streak of lightning here and there as he moved towards the enormous bat, elevated with the help of Chan’s gravity field.

Jihoon watched from where he was stationed on an apartment rooftop, far back enough to be out of the line of chaos, but strong enough to keep a shield around each of his teammates and tune himself into their energies.

Seungcheol was already behind the bat, brute fists flying, shield coming up to block its talons from tearing him in half. Jeonghan was beside him, focused on the beast. He looked to be in complete concentration, and it was after a while that Jihoon realised the bat was thrashing around in the air; Jeonghan was cutting off its sight.

Their energies were spiking with adrenaline, but there was nothing out of the ordinary for Jihoon to step in yet. He checked with his shields, quickly examining them for any tears. Fortunately, there were none. Even Chan’s energy was calm, his own shield perfect.

Jihoon had to hand it to his team this time, because they were working better than he’d expected, with this combination.

It was Soonyoung’s first mission on the front line with only a single order to take down the bat from Seungcheol. The leader put himself in charge of holding the bat for Soonyoung to deliver the final blow, and though it looked to be a struggle, Jihoon was hopeful they would get the job done with only minor injuries.

Soonyoung was impressing him instead of disappointing him this time. His reflexes were much better than they had been in his first solo training sequence last week, but his reflexes were still slightly sloppy where some of them counted. It was still an improvement, he thought.

He’d been the one to spend the past week joining him in his training sessions whenever he could, never participating but always giving him advice and pointing out his areas of improvement wherever he needed them.

It was definitely an improvement. Perhaps there was something there after all.

The bat screeched, sending a shudder down Jihoon’s spine. On the building rooftop next to his, Chan was pouring his concentration into keeping their teammates in the air.

Jihoon checked his shield, just in case, and nodded to himself in relief when he found it was still at one-hundred percent.

There was a sudden crack in the sky that startled him, and he looked from Chan to Soonyoung, only to find the latter’s whip being pulled on the other end by the bat, hissing as it yanked fiercely on the whip with its talons.

Jihoon heard Soonyoung’s growl loud and clear. He lost control of his whip, and it wound around the bat’s bony limbs. Seungcheol bellowed commands, but Jihoon couldn’t hear him over the bat’s shrill shrieks.

Jeonghan thrusted himself away from the commotion to widen his focus, and Jihoon watched him carefully to find out what he was going to steal from the bat next. It was its sense of touch, apparently, because the giant beast suddenly went still, Soonyoung’s whip falling from its hold. Seungcheol lunged, aiming for its wings. He took it in his bare hands and _pulled_.

Jihoon looked away, cringing at the thought of it being torn in half. The thing’s body remained suspended in the air, its limbs hovering among his teammates. Then he watched as Soonyoung’s hands waved around in gestures at Seungcheol, who was throwing his own up in what looked like exasperation.

Their energies were spiking – anger, frustration, disbelief. Part of Soonyoung simmered with shame.

Jihoon didn’t understand, so he looked to Chan. _Now,_ he mouthed to their youngest, who nodded and turned back to the sky.

Slowly, Seungcheol and Jeonghan descended with what was left of the monster in tow. They dropped to Jihoon’s rooftop, and in the blink of an eye, Soonyoung appeared behind him. Chan thrusted himself through the air to join them.

Seungcheol and Soonyoung’s energies were particularly tense. Jihoon raised an eyebrow at their leader. “What happened?”

Seungcheol scowled, a hand flying towards Soonyoung. “He hesitated.”

Jihoon turned to Soonyoung, who shook his head and refused to look up. Jeonghan let out a loud sigh, standing in between them. “Something went wrong,” he said, “and Soonyoung fell into the bat’s trap. He tried getting his whip around its neck, but he didn’t pull in time and it got hold of it.”

“He _hesitated_ ,” Seungcheol spat. “That was your move, and you missed it.”

Soonyoung let out a frustrated groan. “It was an accident – I didn’t know it was going to grab it! And you,” he turned to Jeonghan, pointing a finger at him accusingly. “You couldn’t have done that shit earlier? You just hung back there and wasted our time!”

Jeonghan, to his credit, didn’t fight back. He shrugged, and simply said, “I had orders.”

Seungcheol shook his head, and Jihoon felt his energy shift from anger to disappointment. “I counted on you to do it because it was right there in front of you. Jeonghan’s orders were to not step in until absolutely necessary.”

“So it was a test then,” Soonyoung scoffed. “I didn’t fall into the monster’s trap – I fell into yours.”

Unable to take the erratic beat of Soonyoung’s energy, he focused on the broken bat’s grim remains, the tense atmosphere taking away his need to cringe at the sight of it. It was horrific, blood and bones and all, but he wanted something else to look at so he couldn’t feel the tension anymore.

“You’ve spent the past week training for this,” Seungcheol hissed. “I took you out here to see what you were like with the real thing.”

“It was an accident,” Soonyoung repeated, voice strained. “If I had known –“

Seungcheol shook his head. “We never know, though, do we?” he said. “I thought you had it down. You’re as strong as me, Soonyoung, but you’re not using your brain.”

Soonyoung’s energy spiked, shame and disappointment all in one. Jihoon didn’t know how to feel – last week, he was Seungcheol – unsure whether to give Soonyoung a solo spot on the field or not. But Jihoon had watched him improve and do better each day than the day before. The only difference in his performance now was that he had been up against the real thing, not one of Mingyu’s projections.

Jihoon cleared his throat, eyes still on the dead monster’s remains. “I think,” he started, keeping an eye on the two’s energies, “you should both calm down. Let’s just take a step back, okay? Seungcheol, as our leader, you should’ve talked to him more. You shouldn’t have given Jeonghan that order – it’s unfair and it wasn’t right in this situation. And Soonyoung, you’ve made the same mistake before. You just need more training to tune your senses better. I – We can’t have you getting hurt.”

Silence passed between them, the tense air intensifying by the second; Seungcheol’s chaotic energy shifting from frustration to worry to hope before going around in an endless cycle, Soonyoung’s own darting from upset to the same kind of frustration.

It was getting too much for Jihoon, who could feel it all at once. He looked at Seungcheol pleadingly, surprising himself that he was even bartering for the leader to let the other boy off. The Jihoon watching Soonyoung last week wouldn’t have done this, he thought.

But he had seen Soonyoung _try_ his best in the training room. There was a fire in him that refused to go out. Even now, it stood alight.

“I’m sorry,” Soonyoung said, so quietly it was almost a whisper. “I’ll work harder next time.”

Seungcheol was slow to respond, but when he did, he did it with a shaky sigh. “I need you here, Soonyoung. I need your strength and your mind to be there in the moment when it needs you.”

“I know,” Soonyoung replied. “I’ll work on that.”

Jihoon’s eyes flitted between them, feeling their emotions come down from their awful high. Chan, who had been quiet all this time, let out a loud whistle; Jihoon felt his energy drift away from anxiety to something of relief.

“It’s been a rough night,” he said, smiling weakly. “Let’s go home?”

Seungcheol held out a hand, and Soonyoung took it gratefully. “I’m sorry for pulling that shit on you. I won’t do it again, alright?”

Soonyoung nodded, mouth slowly widening into a grin. It wasn’t until then that Jihoon felt his own energy calm down, a relieved breath escaping him.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Jeonghan said, nudging Soonyoung when he moved beside him.

Soonyoung hummed in acknowledgement. “Make me ramen, then?”

“Anything for you, you brat,” Jeonghan mumbled affectionately.

Jihoon watched the four of them huddle together in breezy laughter, conversation slipping into easiness. He was grateful that the tension had been relieved just like that, because he didn’t think he could handle an angry Seungcheol or an angry Soonyoung – the thought of both was tiring enough already.

Jihoon was too wrapped in his thoughts that he missed Soonyoung’s energy sidle up to him, a pulsing cloud of ease and comfort.

“Thank you,” Soonyoung whispered, their arms brushing against each other.

“Shut up,” Jihoon muttered, smiling despite himself.

Soonyoung’s hand skimmed along Jihoon’s, finding his fingers. He held it briefly, giving it a short squeeze. His heart stuttered over a beat in surprise, and he looked away, afraid it would show on his face.

The warmth began in his fingers before it started spreading through him. Even when Soonyoung walked ahead to join the others, it lingered.

 

 

 

Jihoon spent the next week in the open field behind their headquarters with Soonyoung, training him in non-weapon combat. He had to use his blocking ability to cut off Soonyoung’s powers to ensure he would learn properly, but by the end of the first day, it had done nothing but make Soonyoung complain.

“What does it feel like?” Jihoon had asked after Soonyoung had dragged on about being too numb to fight.

“Like I’m being strangled,” Soonyoung had deadpanned, even making the gestures around his neck for effect.

Jihoon knew it was like that for everyone. Cutting off a part of them was sure to have monumental effects, especially if they were overpowering or used often. It was different to blocking their abilities from affecting him, which he did all the time – his barriers were always up for anything and anyone, even his teammates – but he didn’t know what it felt like to have his whole being taken away from him, even if just for a moment.

He figured it would very much be like being suffocated, if he imagined himself in their positions.

After spending the first half of the week going over proper postures and footwork, Jihoon moved over to attempting to strengthen Soonyoung’s reflexes.

It turned out they were only terrible when the latter tried to really _think_.

“You can’t just focus on this one thing,” Jihoon told him. “I’ve realised it distracts you. You overthink the movement before you’ve even done it.”

“I don’t know how to switch that off. It's kind of natural?” Soonyoung sighed, running a hand through his silvery hair. He’d bleached and dyed it just the other day, with Seokmin’s help, and not that it was anything of interest to Jihoon, but the latter quite liked it.

Jihoon sat down on the grass, giving the both of them a break. Of the five training exercises Jihoon had set up for him, he’d only manage to get through two without making mistakes. It was better than none, Jihoon thought, but it needed to be better.

Soonyoung joined him, sitting opposite him with his legs stretched out and his hands behind him. Closing his eyes, he tilted his face up to the sun, the light kissing his sweat-riddled cheeks. They glimmered and gleamed, and Jihoon looked down at the grass, tearing at it with his hands.

“Think about other things,” Jihoon suggested. “You’re more in the zone when you’re talking to me while fighting, but when you’re quiet and focused, you kind of just…daze out and slip up.”

Soonyoung peeked an eye open to frown at him. “So I should start thinking about what I'm having for dinner the moment before I'm supposed to deliver the final blow?"

It sounded ridiculous when put that way, but Jihoon nodded. “Basically.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“You did it well with me earlier,” Jihoon pointed out. “I couldn’t even predict your movements because you weren’t being sloppy with them.”

“I don’t know if I can do that all the time,” Soonyoung muttered, uncertain.

Jihoon played with stalks of grass, tying them up with each other. They fell to pieces in his hands easily, but he kept going. “Okay, well, what were you thinking earlier to make you less aware of your movements? It’s quite interesting how much sharper you are when you’re oblivious in the moment.”

Soonyoung was quiet for a while. Then he leaned forward, opening his eyes. “I was thinking about you, actually.”

Jihoon’s breath hitched. His hands stilled, grass rolling away from them. Soonyoung’s gaze held him steady, but he wanted to look away, if only to calm the creeping blush threatening to consume him.

He wanted to say something, anything, to pass it off as a joke between them. But he came up with nothing. All he could think of all of a sudden was the way the sunlight caught in the silver strands of his hair, the way it graced his smooth skin and painted him in a flourish of youth and magnificence.

Soonyoung was dazzling, even with his sweaty face and even sweatier hair. Even with the vein straining against his neck from Jihoon holding back his abilities. Even with the many things unsaid and unaddressed between them.

Soonyoung smiled to himself, as if amused by his own thoughts. “I was thinking you don’t talk often around the others, but you do when you get caught up in something you enjoy,” he said. “It’s nice.”

Jihoon blushed furiously. He was sure it was noticeable, but he hoped the other would see it as a result of an entire morning of physical training. The constant smile on Soonyoung’s face, however, felt very far from this.

“Stop playing around,” he mumbled. His own energy was fluctuating, betraying his desire to keep a straight face. It was going haywire, shifting between satisfaction and surprise and, to his horror, _delight_.

Soonyoung stared at him intently, his eyes flickering from Jihoon’s to Jihoon’s lips. “I’m not playing around, Jihoon.”

Thrill jumped to his throat. Jihoon tried to swallow it down. “Yeah?”

Soonyoung smiled, small and cheery. It matched his energy well, Jihoon noticed. “Yeah.”

Silence hung in the air with surprising comfort. Soonyoung returned to basking in the sunlight, and Jihoon admired him as he did so.

Seconds, minutes, hours passed – Jihoon will never know, because, for him, time seemed to stop just by looking at Soonyoung.

Soonyoung hummed, and Jihoon found his eyes drawn to his lips. He opened his eyes briefly, giving Jihoon a smile. The latter returned it without a second thought.

“We should spend more time outside,” he said, and Jihoon’s heart leapt at the sound of _we_. “You look nice in this light.”

 

 

 

When they weren’t training or huddled around Seungkwan as he rifled through the city’s alert systems for warning signs for trouble, Jihoon spent his time on rooftops.

It was the only place he felt unburdened, no energies to tune into, no need for his shields. It was the only place he could think without overwhelming himself with so many thoughts hurtling at him all at once. A haven away from the chaos of their busy, extraordinary lives.

Or it was until Soonyoung barged in, his energy shooting all around Jihoon, filling in the quiet spaces with his every inch of his noise.

“Knew I’d find you here,” Soonyoung said cheerfully, crouching down at Jihoon’s head where he was lying on the ground.

Jihoon reluctantly opened his eyes, only to regret it a second later. It was strange to think that Soonyoung looked even more attractive upside down, but it was even stranger to find himself not denying it or berating himself for thinking it at all.

Soonyoung’s hair was slightly wet, as if he’d just gotten out of the shower, silver strands clinging together. His face was fresh, tired lines looking more alive, and he smelled like the bar of soap he normally used – sea kelp and peppermint.

They’d been living together as a team for a few years now, but tonight Soonyoung looked and smelled the best Jihoon had ever found him.

“This is my quiet place for a reason,” Jihoon muttered under his breath.

Soonyoung smiled. Even upside down it was a lovely smile. “I teleported everywhere just to find you.”

“What for?”

Shrugging, Soonyoung hummed. “No reason. Just felt like seeing you.”

Jihoon paused. “We see each other all the time.”

Soonyoung sighed in feigned vexation. “I know, dummy. But you suddenly weren’t around and I wanted to see you.”

Jihoon wished he would stop saying things like this – things that made his heart jump and his mind scramble in all directions with all kinds of feelings. Soonyoung had been careless all week, flirting subtly in between training sessions and dinners together. Even as they trained, in between swinging blows, much to Jihoon’s inner despair. It was both unnerving and exciting, and he didn’t know what to do with it.

“What are you doing up here tonight, anyway?” Soonyoung asked, steering the conversation, thankfully, to calmer waters.

Jihoon closed his eyes, trying to tune out Soonyoung’s appealing scent and his wild energy. It was starting up something in him and he wasn’t sure he wanted to think about it tonight. “Just dreaming,” he replied. The stars were almost never visible under the layer of pollution in Seoul’s skies, but he imagined them anyway, desperate for their beauty and their light.

Soonyoung hopped over beside him, leaning back until he was lying down beside Jihoon. Their arms were close together, their fingers brushing. Jihoon could feel a heat spike in Soonyoung’s energy, but he wasn’t entirely sure it belonged to him alone.

“Do you remember the first day we met?” Soonyoung asked out of the blue.

“The crazy classroom fire?”

“Yeah.” Soonyoung grinned. “The very one I saved you from?”

Jihoon opened his eyes. Sure enough, he couldn’t see the stars, but he knew they were there, hidden beneath the city’s impurities.

He remembered it clearly, alright. They had been in the middle of class in their second year of high school, Soonyoung sleeping in the crook of his arm, Jihoon attentively paying attention to the English teacher. They had been classmates since middle school, but Jihoon had never seen the other boy do anything else but sleep. Soonyoung used to always come in looking haggard and bruised, though, so Jihoon didn’t think he was purposely slacking off. He hadn't realised back then that he'd been dealing with his own abilities, all by himself.

He remembered trying to summon time to go faster so that the hour would be over and he’d be free to enjoy his next class - music - to his heart’s content. But in the middle of the teacher’s speech about adverbs, a boulder on fire had smashed through their third-floor window and set the entire room ablaze. It had come out of nowhere, but later the news had reported it to be from an otherwordly attack.

Jihoon had panicked – he hadn’t been able to summon his shields or block anything in time, back then completely clueless and untrained – and took to shooing out fellow classmates out the door. He had gotten stuck in between chairs when someone knocked them over in front of the doors, no way out of the blaze, when he felt a different prickle of energy crawl up his spine. He had looked up to find Soonyoung, shirt undone and black hair like wild static on his head, grabbing a hold of him at the waist and squeezing his eyes shut.

Jihoon’s breath had been stolen from him, his lungs yanked out of his chest for the briefest of moments. When he’d felt air come back to him, he was no longer in the classroom. He’d collapsed on the field outside the school, too weak to fear for the burning school floor. Soonyoung had crouched next to him, hands rubbing circles on his back as he shook all over.

“Breathe deeply,” Soonyoung had instructed, “in through your nose, out through your mouth. Just focus on yourself, and breathe.”

Jihoon had done what he was told, but it didn’t stop the panicky thoughts and tears that flooded through him. He hadn’t gotten to his shield in time, hadn’t sensed the danger – he was trembling with fear.

But Soonyoung had taken Jihoon’s face in his hands, forcing him to look up. Through teary eyes, Jihoon watched as Soonyoung’s mouth moved slowly to demonstrate calmer breathing, eyes encouraging him to follow. After a minute, his breathing had steadied, and Soonyoung was smiling at him.

“There we go,” he’d said. “I’m Soonyoung, by the way, but you can thank me later.”

Jihoon had blinked, and then the other was gone. He’d found out later that Soonyoung had stared evacuating the entire building by himself, teleporting others to safety from Soonyoung himself when he’d sought out Jihoon after the ambulances and the firetrucks came.

He remembered feeling helpless and in the dark with his power. He had been aware of it for some time after some run-ins with bullies and their fists not being able to touch him when he desperately imagined protecting himself. But in the burning classroom, he had been unable to summon anything.

He was different now, though. Stronger, more in tune with his senses. He could shield entire buildings without a sweat or half the city with little strain.

Soonyoung chuckled lightly. His head was turned sideways, his attention on Jihoon, and the latter could feel it even though he couldn’t see it; he just didn’t know what to do with it.

“I often think about that day,” Soonyoung said, voice thoughtful. “You saved our classmates before thinking about yourself.”

“Isn’t that what people should do?”

“You could’ve died,” Soonyoung continued. “I didn’t realise what was going on until a girl started screaming that you were still in there. I started thinking you were really dumb when I put the pieces together, but I had to save you."

“Hey,” Jihoon protested, frowning. “They were screaming all over the place - I wanted them out before they could deafen me.”

Soonyoung let out a howl of a laugh. “And so he chose to stand in the middle of the blaze, instead!”

“I couldn’t use my shields,” Jihoon said quietly.

Soonyoung considered this for a moment. He was quiet, and Jihoon took the opportunity to look at him, to gauge his thinking face and try to read him. Soonyoung was still looking at him, a small smile on his face, his eyes roaming over Jihoon.

“I thought you were pretty amazing for doing that. Reckless but selfless,” Soonyoung told him.

“You’re the same, stupid,” Jihoon muttered, looking away as Soonyoung’s eyes landed on his lips. It made him feel hot all over; his palms were beginning to break out in sweat. “Dumb and brave.”

“I’m not selfless like you are,” Soonyoung whispered, as if saying it to himself.

Jihoon wanted to shut him down and say _no, I’m not selfless_ and _yes, you are_ to him, but he couldn’t. It was probably because of the way Soonyoung’s fingers found his in the space between their bodies, at first a gentle brush, a soft caress, and then a firm grasp. It was probably because of the starless night, the cloud of smoke concealing them and the moon. It was probably because he yearned to see them, just as he yearned for Soonyoung’s entire hand.

“I’ve known you the longest out of everyone,” Jihoon muttered to the stars, “and you still haven’t changed.”

It was only half a truth. Soonyoung was still the same, dumb and reckless boy he was throughout middle and high school and university. He was still the one who made people laugh easily – unstoppable with Seokmin and Seungkwan combined to form the ultimate trio – and he was still the one that made Jihoon feel frustrated for worrying him to death whenever he did something stupid.

The only that was different was the way they looked at each other.

Soonyoung was handsomer now, even more so with his mop of silver hair and sharpened jaw, his full cheeks and the matured edges of his smile. Not that it did anything to Jihoon, the latter thought, feeling a familiar warmth radiate from Soonyoung’s stare on him, but he quite liked Soonyoung like his. Unburdened by his abilities, staying still in one place, just beside him.

“You’ve changed a lot,” Soonyoung said, breaking his reverie.

Jihoon turned his head, rolling his eyes. “If you’re going to comment about the one inch I’ve grown in the past three years, save it.”

“No,” Soonyoung breathed, laughing, “I wasn’t going to say anything about that at all.”

Jihoon paused, checking himself out of irritation. He met Soonyoung’s gaze, daring himself to keep it. It was a struggle to look away anyway; when Soonyoung looked at him like this, like he was something worth marvelling, he didn’t mind the idea of getting lost in the moment.

“What’s changed?”

Soonyoung took Jihoon’s hand in his, entwining their fingers. Jihoon held his breath when the other boy’s mouth curved into a grin.

Jihoon thought Soonyoung had always been dazzling, even in his moments of stupidity. Perhaps he was always going to be.

“You’re stronger,” Soonyoung told him quietly, his voice carrying into the night, floating to the stars. He gave Jihoon’s hand a gentle squeeze.

When Jihoon found his breath again, he squeezed back, and smiled.

 

 

 

“You’re too slow,” Wonwoo deadpanned, coming up on Jihoon’s left.  

Jihoon swung too late and ended up smashing his fist against the wall. The sting was immediate, vibrating all the way up his arm. He scowled, aiming his entire body at the other boy.

Wonwoo feigned a yawn, already dashing out of his way.

“You’re _too fast_ ,” Jihoon growled.

“Oh, it’s not me,” Wonwoo said, smirking. “You’re not focusing. I can predict you as easily as Jisoo can.”

Jihoon straightened, shaking his fists loose from their tight curl. Wonwoo was beside him in the blink of an eye, tracksuit ruffling with the force of his wind. He held out a bottle of water, and Jihoon took it gratefully.

“If you needed a punch bag, Mingyu or Seungcheol would have been the choice. Not the, you know, speedster.”

“They’re training Soonyoung,” Jihoon said in between gulps. When he was done with the bottle, he scrunched it up and threw it across the room to where his bag was.

“Aren’t you usually in there with him?”

Shaking his head, Jihoon told him, “Seungcheol didn’t want me joining in. I don’t know why, though. I just stand there and yell advice at him.”

Wonwoo cocked his head, mouth quirking from side to side. Jihoon caught his strange look. “What?”

The other boy's hands crawled into his jacket pockets as he started whistling. “Nothing, just...what’s going in with you two there?”

Jihoon narrowed his eyes at him, arms crossing over his chest. “Are you putting your nose where it doesn’t belong again?”

Wonwoo’s eyes widened, his mouth wide in pleasant surprise. “You’re not denying it!”

Jihoon caught himself, and frowned. “No, I just –“

But he couldn’t deny it. He couldn’t deny Soonyoung’s arms around his waist lingering longer than necessary whenever they trained in the field, or Jihoon’s fingers seeking out Soonyoung’s first whenever they retreat to rooftops at night. He couldn’t deny Soonyoung bringing him lunch and dinner to his room whenever Jihoon was too lazy to go downstairs, and he couldn’t deny the way his feet automatically crossed the floor of any room whenever Soonyoung was near.

He couldn’t deny the stupid butterflies, the weird tingling feelings in his hands, the mess of emotions in his head. It had been weeks and they were like this, dancing around a maypole of possibilities. 

He couldn’t deny it, because, frankly, neither of them were. They just haven't talked about it, yet.

Jihoon ran a hand down his face in distress. Wonwoo was _snickering_ , of all things, his shoulders raised to his ears like a child.

“Shut up about this,” Jihoon groaned. “Don’t talk about me or about this with the others.”

“Too late, Mingyu gives us all the juicy details. It’s his room and his projections you’re using, so he sees and hears all.”

Jihoon resolved to kill Kim Mingyu with his own bare hands.

He turned his body towards Wonwoo. “I am going to block your shitty speed and then I am going to beat you up.”

Wonwoo paled. He laughed nervously, his hands coming up in defence. “Hey, it’s not just us,” he argued. “It’s Soonyoung.”

“What about Soonyoung?” Jihoon asked, scowling.

“He talks to us too, you know,” Wonwoo replied. “He doesn't shut up about you..”

This was the first he’d heard of such a thing. “What does he say?” Jihoon’s eyebrows creased in thought.

Wonwoo started walking backwards carefully. “All great things, I assure you.”

Jihoon clenched his teeth. “ _What_ does he say?”

Wonwoo chewed on his bottom lip, shaking his head. “That you’re cute and all that shit - I don’t know –“ He shuddered, cringing at his own words. “I don't want to get involved, but Soonyoung thinks you’re really attractive and funny and that you have a nice body and that your heart is big.”

The nervousness and uncertainty Jihoon had felt earlier melted away. It was replaced with a quiet hum of contentment and, god help him, _pleasure_.

Soonyoung thought he had a _big heart_. Soonyoung thought he was _really attractive_.

“Oh,” he muttered, the warmth of the words spreading through him.

Wonwoo rolled his eyes. “He said it in many more words, trust me, but that’s it. He’s so fucking fond of you.”

“Oh,” Jihoon repeated, nodding but not really hearing the other’s words.

Soonyoung thought he had a _nice body_. Which was ridiculous, because Soonyoung’s body was so much more well-defined. In the times he’d seen him change in and out of his suit for training and missions, Jihoon had gotten a glimpse of a toned stomach and very, _very_ , strong-looking thighs. Nothing like the lanky boy he’d sit next to in school.

He blushed at his own thoughts, stopping himself before he could go any further and his blood could spread south.

Wonwoo was still whining when he filtered back into the room, still trying to make a run for it.

“I have to go before I puke my breakfast up,” he said, but his ears were tinged pink. Jihoon let him go with a careless nod, and Wonwoo raced out of the room in a flash.

There was a weird sensation on his face, stretching at his cheeks. Lifting a hand to his face, Jihoon traced the curves of his cheeks, following them down to his lips. His mouth was pulled into a grin, the widest he thought it’d ever been. At the feel of it, he let out a dazed laugh.

 

 

 

 

Soonyoung teleported beside him, bearing a plastic bag of takeout in one hand and a rolled-up blanket in the other. He started laying out the latter when Jihoon reached out to take the bag, and when he was done, they settled down on it.

Jihoon took out the bag’s contents, carefully setting down the bowl of black bean noodles beside him before rifling through for chopsticks.

“You’re not eating?” He asked, eyeing Soonyoung’s stretched out body. He was wearing a checkered button-up undone over a shirt and ripped black jeans. Jihoon swallowed; he’d forgotten to take a drink with him.

Soonyoung shook his head, folding his arms under his head with a smile. “Seungkwan ordered some chicken and it came first so I stole some before I came.”

“Is he still trying to unscramble the signal?”

For a week now, Seungkwan had hooked himself up to every computer and machine in his room, trying to decipher a signal he’d received a while ago. It’d sounded like white noise to Jihoon when Seungkwan played it for the team the other day, but to Seungkwan, it was probably more. He’d been working through all the currents and the circuits in the country trying to pinpoint its location and reword its message, but so far, it seemed like he wasn’t getting anywhere with it.

Soonyoung nodded. “Yeah, it’s really messing him up.” He paused. “Don’t worry about that now and just eat, okay?”

Jihoon’s cheeks warmed. “Thanks for bringing me food,” he mumbled, pulling his chopsticks apart and digging in.

Soonyoung hummed to the tune of a random song while Jihoon ate. It was peaceful, eating and relaxing to the sound of cars in the background and club music echoing somewhere far beneath them. It was the time of night when it was busiest, but his energy was the calmest without no need to focus on swirling energies and chaos. The only energy he was attuned to was his own. And now, after many nights and weeks spent on the rooftops with him, Soonyoung’s, too.

When he was done eating, Jihoon shifted closer onto the blanket until his knees were right next to Soonyoung’s thighs. Soonyoung propped himself up on his arms, meeting Jihoon with a grin.

“You’ve got sauce on your face,” he pointed out.

Jihoon trailed a finger around his face, but he couldn’t find the stain. Soonyoung chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned up fully. His face was now dangerously close to Jihoon’s, just an inch or two apart. Jihoon found himself holding his breath.

“Here,” Soonyoung whispered, raising a finger to a spot on Jihoon’s cheek. He swiped it off, but he lingered there for a second longer.

Jihoon could feel his heartbeat pick up, pulsing through his veins and echoing in his ears. He couldn’t breathe all of a sudden – his lungs were tight, his breath lost somewhere in the space between them.

If Soonyoung noticed anything, he didn’t mention it. Instead, his hand came down to Jihoon’s jaw, holding his face. His thumb ran a line down his cheek where the stain had been, and his eyes were burning into Jihoon’s.

“I was wrong before,” Soonyoung muttered. Jihoon felt anxiety spike in him for a moment, but then Soonyoung smiled and continued. “I said you looked nice in the sunlight, but I think the night looks even better on you.”

Jihoon swallowed, but it hurt; his throat was so, so dry. “Shut up, it’s just dark,” he croaked, but it was different from what he actually wanted to say.

Soonyoung looked at him with dazed eyes. “Far from it. You’re lighting it all up on your own.”

“Shut up,” Jihoon repeated. He didn’t know what else to say – there were butterflies in his stomach and a bunch of cotton in his brain. He couldn’t _think_ , not when Soonyoung was sitting so close to him, a hand on his face, his thigh pressed up against Jihoon’s.

Soonyoung let out a shaky laugh. He considered Jihoon for a second, eyes searching his face. “You’re not using your shields,” he marveled.

Jihoon’s heart lurched. “You’re distracting me.”

In all honesty, he had no reason to have his barriers up around Soonyoung. There was never any danger around them whenever they stole away the night for themselves. There was nothing to be afraid of, nothing to worry about except for the crazed state of his heart.

“Yeah?” Soonyoung asked, smile forming into a smirk.

Jihoon’s hand came up without a second thought, pushing Soonyoung’s face away. “Don’t look at me like that, stupid.”

Soonyoung responded with a laugh, using his other hand to hold Jihoon’s wrist back from his face. “Like what, Jihoon?”

It was the way his name sounded in Soonyoung’s low, grumbling voice that had Jihoon squirming under his intense gaze. It sounded so smooth and demanding. It made Jihoon want to bury his entire body in ice because he was suddenly heating up all over.

He hid his face in his shoulder, trying to conceal the fact he was furiously blushing, but the hand Soonyoung held his face in gently caressed him back to face him.

“Don’t hide,” Soonyoung said. “Come here.”

Soonyoung tugged at Jihoon’s hand, sliding his arm around his waist. Jihoon shuddered from head to toe, breath ragged and trembling when Soonyoung pulled him onto his lap.

Jihoon burned, a violent heat coursing through him. It was pleasure and excitement and longing all in one, with Soonyoung’s strong thighs beneath him, his arms around his waist, his fingers dancing along his skin.

It was nothing like he’d ever imagined before. His heart was stuck in his throat, his stomach flipped upside down. He was a mess, and he was sure it showed on his face.

Soonyoung leaned in, his lips just a breath away from Jihoon’s. He leaned their foreheads together, his arms squeezing around Jihoon. “You’re all I think about,” he confessed. “You’re all I’ve had on my mind for years.”

Jihoon strangled his urge to squirm – it was difficult, with Soonyoung’s groin so close to him, his homely scent intoxicating. He was coming undone in Soonyoung’s lap, an unstoppable force untangling him from his careful thoughts.

“Soonyoung,” he rasped, throat drier and drying by the second.

Soonyoung ran his nose along Jihoon’s cheeks. Jihoon couldn’t think, and he couldn’t breathe. All he could feel was Soonyoung’s breath on his skin, his hands gentle around him, and the violent need for _more_.

Jihoon took a deep breath in. He opened his mouth to say something, to bare another piece of his heart. But Soonyoung leaned in and stole his breath and his words with a kiss.

It was quiet for a moment.

And then the world exploded.

 

 

 

Seungkwan managed to unscramble the signal two weeks later. It was an amber alert for an unknown force sneaking in from beneath the earth, reading off coordinates for the northern area of the Han River.

When Seungkwan gathered them around his table to tell them, everybody looked to Jisoo.

“I’m getting nothing,” he said miserably. “It’s too quiet or it’s got a shield.”

Minghao stepped forward, and Jihoon felt the boy's energy peak in realisation. “It’s got a shield. I haven’t been able to wield the earth in full power these past few days. That means it’s getting closer and it’s protected.”

“So…we don’t know what we’re dealing with.” Hansol added, laughing nervously. “That sounds fun.”

“It sounds like death,” Junhui groaned, burying his face in his hands.

“It took this long to come through,” Seungcheol muttered across the table, “so it’s big. How long do we have until it reaches the surface?”

Jihoon darted his attention from Jisoo to Minghao, the two who were mostly likely to be accurate. Jisoo had the ability to predict certain situations, while Minghao’s elemental abilities had him directly attuned to the earth.

Jisoo’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “I can feel it, but I can’t get a hold of it. I can _sense_ it, so I'll give it two days at the least.”

“The earth is softening around that area,” Minghao added. “We don’t have much time.”

Jihoon let out a long sigh. If it was this big, it meant the mission required all thirteen of them. They hadn’t done one of those in a long, long while.

“Seungkwan, keep an eye on it,” Seungcheol commanded. Seungkwan nodded, and the former turned his attention to Jisoo and Minghao. “I need you two to stay with me to run through a few plans. The rest of you will start preparing. We don’t know what we’re dealing with, but I need you guys to get in shape for whatever it could be.”

Collectively, they nodded. Jihoon walked over to Soonyoung so they could leave together, but Seungcheol called him back. He stopped by the door at his name and turned.

“Jihoon, come here,” their leader said.

Jihoon nodded hesitantly, giving Soonyoung a confused look. Soonyoung shrugged. “I’ll stay with you,” he whispered, brushing their fingers together in reassurance.

Seungcheol waved them over, eyeing Soonyoung for a brief second, as if he was debating whether to kick him out of the room or not.

He didn't, however. He sighed and laid his hands out on the table. “Jisoo, do you have any idea what it could be?”

“Apart from its large size and stifling shield, no,” Jisoo replied with a frown.

“Do you think we’ll be able to attack it with all we’ve got?”

“With a shield like this?” Jisoo considered it for a moment. “If I can’t penetrate it with my mind, it’s not enough.”

“There are thirteen of us,” Soonyoung mumbled. “Thirteen quite very powerful beings – now, I don't know about you, but that's one hell of an offense – and we can’t beat it?”

Minghao shook his head. “It feels different. The earth, it moves for it, not the other way around. Like it’s part of it, which is why Jisoo probably can’t feel it and why the earth won’t talk to me, either.”

Jihoon felt anxiety bubble in the pit of his stomach. “What the hell is it?”

Nobody had an answer. Soonyoung looked weary, pinching the bridge of his nose. Jisoo had his eyes closed, but Jihoon could see them flickering behind his eyelids, using his power. Minghao was breathing heavily, but in concentration, fingers flexing on the table.

Only Seungcheol was looking straight at him.

Jihoon swallowed. “What?”

Seungcheol stared unwaveringly. His mouth was pulled into a grim line, the tired lines of his face prominent under the distress.

“If it has a shield, you can negate it,” Seungcheol started, slowly as though carefully choosing his words. “If we get north of the River in time to anticipate its arrival, you can take out its shield long enough for us to take it down.”

Jihoon opened his mouth to say something but came up short. He’d never done that before – he’d never faced another shield before. He’d covered a large expanse of their city before, and he could hold shields around his teammates while they fought, but he’d never come in contact with another shield before, let alone negated one back on itself.

His lips pulled down into a deep frown, but it was Soonyoung who spoke.

“That’s dangerous, Seungcheol,” he growled. “You’d be putting _him_ on the front line before us.”

“It’s got a shield, but so do we. What better to fight a shield than with one of our own?”

Jisoo opened his eyes, a glint flashing across them. Jihoon braced himself for what he was about to say next. “It could work. In all the possibilities I can see so far, it’s the only one that’ll weaken the force long enough for us to fight it. Jihoon would just have to shield it and then turn it inside out.”

“You don’t even know what the thing is,” Soonyoung countered, shaking his head with incredulity.

“Its shield is powerful,” Jisoo replied coolly. “That’s all I have to know.”

“ _Seungcheol_ ,” Soonyoung hissed. “You can’t be serious.”

Seungcheol turned to Jisoo. “What are our other options?”

“If we let it come up and we fight it as it is, I see an entire city in ruins. Or it floods us in fire _and_ water.” The hair on the back of Jihoon’s nape stood as Jisoo looked directly at him. “If we want it to be over with the least consequences and damage, Jihoon is our only shot.”

“We’re not taking that chance,” Soonyoung fought. “Let it come to us, we can fight it and deal with the backlash later.”

Seungcheol glared at him. “That’s not how we work, Soonyoung. We protect the city and its people first.”

“Jihoon is one of _us_. Protect _him_ first.” Soonyoung’s hand balled into a tight fist. Jihoon stared at it, wanting to reach out and loosen it into his hand, but he couldn’t. He was frozen, conflict brewing within him.

If Jisoo said it was the only way, there wasn’t much room left to argue. Seungcheol was right – their code was to protect the city and the citizens first, no matter what. Jihoon was beginning to fear for his life at the simple thought of whatever it was they were about to face, but it was looking like it was the only way out.

“You are marching him to his death,” Soonyoung spat, anger rolling off him in immense waves. “What happens if it doesn’t work?”

“It will,” Seungcheol replied easily. “Jihoon is a strong shield.”

Jihoon felt himself shake his head. “I’ve never done something like this before.”

“It will work,” Jisoo echoed.

Jihoon looked from him to Seungcheol. “There really isn’t any other way? I can’t just break the shield instead of negate it for a moment?”

Jisoo’s mouth twitched into a small, sad smile. “Not if we want to keep the city safe. Breaking it would break _you_ in half. You just have to hold it for us. We'll be quick, if you can."

Jihoon let out a lengthy breath. Beside him, Soonyoung was fuming. His knuckles were a ghostly white, tense and shaking with fury.

“Okay,” he muttered, lowering his eyes from the sting of the attention being pointed at him. “I’ll do it.”

Soonyoung spluttered beside him. “Jihoon, you can’t –“

“Soonyoung,” Minghao spoke up softly. “He can do it. We’ll all be there to protect him.”

But Soonyoung shook his head, his entire body in disbelief and frustration. “You’re all insane. This is Jihoon we’re talking about.”

“Soonyoung,” Jihoon whispered, lifting his hand to cover Soonyoung’s. It was warm and tight, but he tried to untangle its tension away. “Soonyoung, let’s go and talk about this.”

Soonyoung kicked at the table, pushing back from it. “Fuck you, Seungcheol. Fuck you all,” he growled before yanking his hand out of Jihoon’s and teleporting away.

Jihoon felt the wind of his absence run a chill through him. “It will work,” Seungcheol reassured him, but he wasn’t listening.

He closed the door behind him when he made it outside, heavy breaths wracking through his chest.

This was it – this is what he was here for. To save the city and his family, whether it took a breath from him or his entire life.

 

 

 

He found Soonyoung in his room, standing by his dresser. There were two holes on the wood, a product of his anger and lack of control. His hands were still white and angry, and Jihoon stalked over to peel them off the piece of furniture.

“If it were me in your position, would you let me do this?” Soonyoung rasped, ducking his head into the corner of his arm.

“No,” Jihoon answered immediately. “I would fight Seungcheol until he backed down.”

“Then you see where I’m coming from.” Soonyoung let out a shaky laugh. “It’s dangerous, and you know it.”

“We have to weaken it. If it’s too big to fight with all we’ve got, I’m the only one who can pull its shield down.”

Soonyoung lifted his head, and Jihoon’s heart broke at his pained expression. “What if it’s too big to negate and you get hurt trying to? It’s nothing like shielding a city. Its shield will fight back.”

“I can handle it,” Jihoon told him. He didn’t believe it yet, but he could. He had to _try_ , at least. He took Soonyoung’s hand in his, pulling him towards the bed. Soonyoung followed, dragging his feet.

“It takes a split second to be overwhelmed,” Soonyoung said. “You’ve seen it happen to me before. Just one second, and the odds turn against you.”

Jihoon lay down on one side of the bed, tugging at Soonyoung’s arm until he took the space beside him. Soonyoung’s bed was comfortable – small and narrow, but comfortable. Like this, it was easy to tangle their limbs together and for Jihoon to bury Soonyoung’s head under his chin.

He held him tight, feeling Soonyoung’s tension melt away slowly until he started to shake with something else.

“You’re really not going to argue with this?” Soonyoung asked, his voice breaking with every word.

“I trust them to make the right call,” Jihoon muttered. “And I trust you all to make sure nothing happens to me. We’re a tough bunch, you know. Our abilities help each other in a lot of ways.”

“It’s fucking terrifying,” Soonyoung mumbles into Jihoon’s skin. “We don’t know what we’re going up against and they’re sending you out there alone. It’s fucking terrifying.”

“I’m not alone. I have you.” Soonyoung shook his head. “Nothing bad will happen to me,” Jihoon assured him. It was silly to write off Soonyoung's anxiety as irrational. In his head, Jihoon flipped their situations around, and found the same spike of reluctant energy wash through him. He didn't believe anything was going to happen to him, but he understood the hurt perfectly.

“I don’t want you to do this.”

Jihoon imagined every other course of action they could take, but nothing. Nothing came out of imagining Jeonghan ripping away the monster’s senses, or Junhui blasting at it with the invincible weapons Hansol's built just for him, or Chan stealing the gravity from beneath the thing’s feet and sending it flying. Nothing came out of picturing Seungcheol’s brute force taking it down, or Mingyu fooling it with his projections.

Nothing, nothing, nothing.

Nothing, without him.

Shields were strong. They were powerful, if trained right. Jihoon knew this much from his own training and abilities. There was very little that could penetrate him. He was the barrier before the front line.

Buut if he was to pour his energy into negating a shield from the monster, he would have none left for a shield for himself. Yet it was a risk he was willing to take, because it meant protecting the city. It meant protecting his family, and it meant protecting Soonyoung. He was the defence line. He had to protect them all.

Jihoon tightened his arm around Soonyoung. He kissed the crown of his head, breathing in the scent of his shampoo. He closed his eyes, and lost himself in the moment.

“I’ll be okay,” he said, over and over, because he wanted Soonyoung to hear it, and he needed to tell himself, too.

“Can’t lose you,” Soonyoung murmured. He pulled his head back, shuffling in his space until they were face-to-face. Jihoon opened his eyes to find him frowning. His eyes were rimmed with red, and Jihoon kissed his falling tears away.

“You won’t,” he whispered into Soonyoung’s lips. He kissed him once, carefully, and then again, with all the strength he had left in him. “I’ll make it.”

Soonyoung took Jihoon in his hands, searching his eyes for a second before kissing him hard, and Jihoon let him in, fingers winding into the strands of the other’s silver hair.

It wasn’t the end, but Jihoon felt it as if it was. It was loss and triumph and hope all in one, but for now, he didn’t want to think of anything else but Soonyoung in his arms, in between his legs, his tongue in his mouth.

When Soonyoung snaked a hand up his shirt, pulling it over his head, Jihoon stopped thinking about anything at all.

 

 

 

“Two minutes to impact,” Seungkwan announced into the earpiece. “Its heat readings are all over the place so I can’t shape it for you guys, but it’s almost there.”

Jihoon clenched and unclenched his hands by his sides. He was nervous, and he had every right to be. He was the only one on his team standing out in the open, right in the mouth of the River. He was fully suited up, his suit making him more attuned to his energies and the ones around him, but he tried to shake them off. Anxiety threatened to overwhelm him, coming in from Mingyu’s direction where the younger boy was stationed in the forest closest to Jihoon.

“Mingyu, chill out,” he breathed into his mic.

“Fuck, I'm sorry,” the other replied, stumbling with nerves. Jihoon waited, and sure enough after a few seconds, Mingyu’s energies dialled down.

Jihoon counted the seconds in his head, steadying his heart to the beat. He tried to stay within his frame of mind, fighting off the distraction of his team’s energies filtering in through his suit. In this moment, he hated wearing it for this reason. It made him more aware of his surroundings when he was supposed to be focusing on himself, trying to keep his power charged at the ready for impact. He only chose to wear it because it was a requirement – at the same time it threatened to weaken him, it strengthened him and he needed the extra push.

“Thirty seconds,” Seungkwan told them all.

Jihoon shook his hands out beside him, stretching his neck left and right. If it worked out, he wouldn’t need to actually fight. He just needed to amplify his shields back at the monster and hope it would crack through its defences.

“As soon as Jihoon holds it, Jeonghan will lower its senses. Wonwoo, as soon as Chan drops his gravity field, you’ll run up and scout it.” Seungcheol repeated the orders they’d all discussed earlier, but Jihoon’s attention quickly began to trickle out.

The ground was moving beneath him. His heartbeat picked it up first, diverting his attention from the voices of his teammates to the rippling water and the crumbling rocks around it.

“It’s here,” Jihoon muttered, eyebrows creasing.

His feet parted into position. He checked his shields, feeling them brimming to the tip with electricity. Drowning the energies that spiked around him, he focused on holding the charge, pushing them to the tips of his fingers. It was spread throughout him now, no corner left uncovered.

He was ready. He could do this.

The river rumbled. It split in half, water rushing in all directions. Jihoon watched as the ground beneath it opened like a mouth gasping for air. Fish and boulders and litter flew to the air, hanging in suspension as a force pulled itself out of the gaping hole.

Jihoon felt his mouth drop, his stomach bottoming out.

Out of the water came the devil, a brutish figure made of fire that dried out the water around it. It was a hideous, faceless thing that wielded fists of flames and smoke. Jihoon gaped at it – it was so enormous, it flattened the forest around the river. But instead of them catching on fire, the trees fell to ash in the blink of an eye.

Jihoon swallowed.

This was it. He had to do it now.

With every inch of his being, he struck.

Pain rattled through him as he pushed, summoning his shield out of his hands. He held them up to the beast, commanding its pulsing energy to wrap around its silhouette. The monster groaned, hands lashing out in the air, but Jihoon pushed and pushed until the field came around it like a blanket. His limbs were heavy and exhausted, his head spinning from the strain and his power overheating within him. It hurt like hell, but he had to keep going –

He breathed heavily, in through his nose, out through his mouth. He had to keep it steady, had to keep his focus, had to fight through the aches in his joints and the pain shooting up his spine. The sheer force of his own shield was tearing him apart from the inside, but he couldn’t let go of it.

As if his shield was tethered to strings wrapped around his hands, he pulled. The monster thrashed in his hold, sensing something suffocating its barrier, but Jihoon kept pulling, trying to ensure his shield was intact before he could continue.

He was hurting all over, about to collapse. It was enough to numb his legs, so he fell onto his knees. He clenched his teeth together and focused on pouring his energy into his shield-weaving hands.

Jihoon cried out as the monster spluttered fire out of its angry mouth, latching onto part of his shield. He felt it in his spine, the spark of hot, white fire. But he clamped his lips together, tighter, and pulled again.

After a painful minute, his shield locked in place, like pieces of a puzzle finally complete. It was strong enough to hold on its own, but he was running out of time. The monster was finally realising what Jihoon was doing to it.

Jihoon took a deep breath, and reached into the core of his shield. The strings keeping it together were being doused in the creature’s fire, but they held steady and true. Jihoon felt it lurch in his chest, fighting against its hold.

Although he could no longer feel the bottom half of his body, he struggled to push himself up straight. He had to stand, had to feel it with his entire body. With one last surge of energy, he squeezed at his shield’s core and flipped it inside out.

The effect threw him flying backwards through the trees. He heard a screech and a groan, splutters of fire and trees falling all around him. He checked his shield quickly – it was still intact, still forcing the monster’s shield into itself.

He just had to keep it up long enough for the others to incapacitate it.

Jihoon let out a short exhale of relief. He did it. He managed to negate its shield. Despite the blinding pain, he grinned.

“Seungcheol, it’s all yours,” he said into the comms.

“I’ll come back for you.” Soonyoung’s voice came through static, the firm sound of it taking root in Jihoon's chest.

He turned back to the river, its entirety in complete ruin. He watched as Wonwoo flew through the air, running at light speed around the beast. Its head turned all around itself, trying to catch Wonwoo’s light, but Wonwoo was too fast.

“I think –“ Wonwoo paused to catch his breath. “I think it’s made of the earth. Fuck it’s so hot.”

“Wonwoo, your suit is giving off crazy readings,” Seungkwan marvelled.

“It’s fucking hot, I tell you,” Wonwoo mumbled. "Good think Seokmin's field is wide enough."

“Let's take it to the sky,” Seungcheol boomed. “Minghao, try and cut off its fire wherever you can. We’re going to fight it in the air.”

“Seungcheol, I have to be up there, too,” Jihoon muttered. “I can’t hold it from this far.”

“Jihoon,” Soonyoung growled.

Jihoon ignored him, the adrenaline coursing through him too fierce to pay anything else attention. “Chan, Wonwoo, get me up there.”

“ _Don’t_ ,” Soonyoung cut in. “I’ll do it myself.”

Soonyoung teleported to his side the next second. Jihoon didn’t want to argue, so he stared him down into silence. Soonyoung pursed his lips, shaking his head.

“I hate this.” Soonyoung wrapped an arm around his waist, and Jihoon let down his barrier to let his ability through.

He was up in the sky in a blink. Around him, his teammates hovered, moving around to get an angle at the beast. Soonyoung unwound his arm, frowning even as he gave Jihoon a quick kiss.

“Nothing happens to you, okay? _Nothing_.” Soonyoung whispered fiercely, only for him to hear.

Jihoon nodded and gave Soonyoung’s hand a squeeze. “Be careful.”

Then Soonyoung was gone. Jihoon hung back while the rest of them worked, focusing on keeping his shield together. Minghao came at it with pockets of air, trying to find spots to conceal its fire. It worked with with minimum effects, but the elementalist worked on snuffing it out even further with bursts of water from the river.

Wonwoo was speeding around it, trying to confuse it. Seokmin clung to him, keeping his eye out in case one of them needed quick healing. Nearby, Mingyu projected a dozen clones of Wonwoo, working with him to confuse it even more. The monster followed version after version of Wonwoo, trying to swat at it with a flaming paw only to come up empty. The real Wonwoo was too fast to get caught.

Jihoon searched for Seungcheol and Soonyoung. The two of them were behind its head, talking. Jihoon tuned into the comms to see if he could hear anything, but nothing. Then Seungcheol gave Soonyoung a nod before turning himself onto the monster and lunging for it with his shield blocking him from the fire.

Soonyoung was nowhere to be found when Jihoon turned back for him. His heart squeezed in worry, until Soonyoung flashed into sight in front of the monster’s face.

His heart stopped completely.

Soonyoung unleashed his whip, snaking it down his wrist and throwing it around the beast’s head. At the same time he pulled it down, Soonyoung thrust himself upwards. He came down on the beast’s head with a foot, his screaming ripping through the air as the fire burned him.

“Seokmin,” Jihoon ordered.

Wonwoo dashed Seokmin close to Soonyoung, hanging back far enough to stay out of the fire himself but close enough for his healing field to reach Soonyoung. The latter pulled his foot back, bringing down his whip on the beast’s neck again, this time pulling it sideways towards Seungcheol, who swung his fist into it.

“Junhui,” Jisoo’s voice echoed into the comms. “Aim for its chest.”

Jihoon waited with bated breath, wondering what Jisoo had seen, as one of Junhui’s rockets flew into the sky from the ground, hitting him square in his target. Soonyoung flashed into view, hovering in front of the giant crater Junhui had just caused.

“No,” Jihoon breathed, panic rising to his throat.

Soonyoung wasn’t moving – he was staring at the hole, at the missile lodged into it – and Jihoon knew what he was going to do next.

“Seokmin,” Soonyoung said. “Wait for me.”

Soonyoung ran head first into the missile, his whip winding around it. He pushed, strong arms pulsing under the pressure. Then he flashed, and Jihoon watched him _disappear_ into the heart of the beast.

Jihoon felt the world stop. The trees silenced, the waters stilled. His heart no longer beat in his chest, no longer echoed in his ears. He couldn’t feel a thing.

The only thing he held onto was the shield, but even then, it was crumbling in his hands.

“Jihoon,” Seungcheol warned through the comms.

“Where is he,” Jihoon ground out, his fists clenching.

“Jihoon, _shield_.”

Jihoon shook his head. “Shut the fuck up. He just went into that thing’s chest!”

He watched as Minghao covered Seungcheol with pockets of air extinguishing the fire around the beast’s neck. Seungcheol went in, shooting his shield straight through it. It cut into the fire, hard and sharp. Then Minghao thrust himself down towards the beast’s leg, extinguishing its fire as he went.

Jihoon frantically searched for Soonyoung in the chaos. His heart faltered as his eyes roamed.

He couldn’t find him.

Jihoon’s breathing picked up.

“Jihoon, you have to calm down,” Seungkwan said into his earpiece. “Your heart rate –“

“Seungcheol, where is Soonyoung.”

“He’ll come through,” Seungcheol told him.

Jihoon clenched his jaw. “You have five seconds before –“

He didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, his eyes widened in shock. The monster was crumbling under the force of their attacks, its fire going out first at the head, then down its chest and its legs. Slowly, like the delicate fall of dominoes.

Everyone stopped moving.

Chan had his gravity field steady for them in the air, but Jihoon saw it clear as day. Something fell through, dropping out of it.

Soonyoung, falling out of the sky. Soonyoung, suit charred in black and ash. Soonyoung, his limbs unmoving.

Jihoon heard a scream pierce through the forest, rumbling through the trees. It took minutes and Jeonghan running towards him to wrap his arms around him, cradling Jihoon’s head in his chest, for Jihoon to realise it was him.

He was the one screaming.

 

 

 

“I want to see him,” Jihoon demanded, moving to push Seokmin out of the way.

The latter shook his head. “You can’t. He’s not ready yet.”

“It’s been a week,” Jihoon pleaded.

A long, unbearable week. He’d spent it mostly in his room or in the waiting room outside the med bay, begging Seokmin to let him in. When he wasn’t doing that, he was waiting for an opportunity to sneak in, but Jisoo was always there to take over Seokmin’s night watch to stop him.

“Not yet,” Jisoo had said every night, crushing Jihoon’s hope under his feet.

Until last night.

Jisoo had jumped out of his seat to get Seokmin first before telling Jihoon anything. When Jihoon had asked, Jisoo _smiled_.

“He’s waking up,” he’d told him.

Jihoon had spent the entire night pacing outside the med bay, waiting for Seokmin to come out. Wonwoo had come to keep him company, but he proved to be useless when he fell asleep shortly after sitting down.

Each time Seokmin popped his head through the door to update them both, Wonwoo would dash back to the others to relay the message. Jihoon, on the other hand, would stay, sitting and simmering in his impatience.

The aftermath of the attack had been chaos. Chan had carefully dropped everyone and the remains of the beast onto the ground, and Wonwoo had scoured the forest to find where Soonyoung’s body had fallen.

Jihoon had waited, numb and unfocused, with Jeonghan’s arms around him, comforting him. He’d offered to take away Jihoon’s pain for a second, but he’d shook his head. There wasn’t any point, he’d said, because he couldn’t feel anything at all.

Wonwoo had found Soonyoung somewhere deep in the forest and carried him back for Seokmin to analyse. Jihoon had refused to see him, afraid to see his broken body. Seokmin had surfaced saying he’d be okay if they got him back to headquarters. Wonwoo had scooped him up into his arms and ran as fast as he could, Seokmin holding onto him.

The three of them had left Jihoon and the others to gather themselves and clean up whatever they could in the forest. Even when the others left for home, Jeonghan had stayed with Jihoon, who didn’t feel like moving for the longest time.

“Please,” Jihoon quietly begged Seokmin now. “I have to see him.”

Seokmin chewed on his bottom lip, considering it. He sighed after a while, giving in. “Take it easy,” he said, and stepped aside.

Jihoon nodded gratefully, and closed the door behind him when he walked in.

Soonyoung lay still on the bed, hooked to various machines. He had a bandage around his head, and many more around his torso. Jihoon took a hesitant step forward, unable to breathe.

“Jihoonie,” Soonyoung wheezed once Jihoon reached the bed. His eyes were slightly open, heavy with whatever Seokmin had him on. He lifted a hand up to reach out to him, but Jihoon shook his head, gently settling it back down.

“Don’t speak or move,” he told him. “Just – just stay still.”

Soonyoung blinked repeatedly, nodding carefully. He winced, and the sound squeezed at Jihoon’s heart.

“How long have I been out?” Soonyoung asked.

“A week.”

Soonyoung’s eyes widened. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” Jihoon breathed, laughing weakly despite himself. “You really put yourself through shit.”

“I had to,” Soonyoung muttered, voice haggard. “You should've seen that thing's core. It was impenetrable until I saw an opening.”

“You teleported the missile into it,” Jihoon mumbled. He’d gone over it in his head each night, re-imagining the moments before he found Soonyoung drifting through the air. A flare of fire, a spark of lightning, a silence. He’d gone over it time and time again, yet he only felt comforted now, hearing it from Soonyoung himself.

“I set it off in its chest,” Soonyoung continued. “Or, I think I did – I don’t know, I passed out after a while. It was really hot in there, like...earth’s core hot.”

Jihoon shook his head, small smiling surfacing onto his face. “I was going to get mad at you today,” he confessed. “I really wanted to. I had an argument drawn up in my head and everything,, ready for when you woke up.”

Soonyoung’s mouth curled up amusedly. “And?”

Jihoon exhaled lengthily. “And forget it. I’m not mad. I was fucking terrified, but I’m not mad you did. Not anymore. I am very, very grateful that you are alive.”

Soonyoung grinned. “The tables turned at the last minute, huh? Better me than you."

“Don’t say that. Everyone was so shocked, they couldn’t move in time to catch you. You fell out of the sky and I thought I was going to die watching you,” Jihoon whispered, fingers finding Soonyoung’s, entwining them together. “You’re so, so dumb, Soonyoung. But you are still so brave.”

“It works wonders when I don’t think so hard,” Soonyoung said.

Jihoon thought back to all their training sessions and the way Soonyoung improved after each one. “You were listening after all.”

Soonyoung shrugged but winced at the motion. “Always, because it’s you. You’re a great teacher.”

Warmth blossomed in his chest. Jihoon squeezed their fingers together tightly. “No more scares like that, okay? Please?”

Soonyoung squeezed back. “Promise.”

Jihoon leaned down, face hovering over Soonyoung’s. Even with the bandage around his head and the exhaustion in his eyes, Soonyoung was beautiful. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you, too.” Soonyoung’s smile was blinding; wide and lovely and alive.

Jihoon trailed kisses along his face, smiling to himself whenever Soonyoung’s breath hitched. When he stopped at his lips, Soonyoung whined.

Jihoon grinned. “Hurry up and get better. I want to do more than just kiss you.”

Soonyoung’s eyes widened in slight surprise, but then they softened. He pushed his head up briefly to catch Jihoon’s lips. Jihoon shook his head and bent down for more.

 

 

 

Soonyoung had been pulled out of commission for a month to heal from the injuries that had been beyond Seokmin’s ability of healing. Jihoon had stuck to his side whenever he wasn’t in training, keeping him company in the med bay, tending to his needs.

Sometimes, they’d curl into each other on the narrow bed, legs tangling together for warmth. Sometimes, they did more than just sleep.

Jihoon was happy that Soonyoung was finally healed and back up on his feet. Today was his first day back in training, choosing to go solo first to get reacquainted with the powers he’d drifted from during the past month. Even though he believed Soonyoung to be strong enough to stand on his own, Jihoon went with him anyway, just in case.

Standing outside the training room, Jihoon tugged at Soonyoung’s sleeve. “No heavy movements yet, yeah? Just basic training for now.”

Soonyoung rolled his eyes. “Yes, doc,” he mumbled, and Jihoon swung a punch to his arm.

“Just,” Jihoon exhaled, “be careful. Take it slow.”

“Stop worrying about me, Jihoonie.” Soonyoung leaned down so their foreheads touched. “I’ll be fine.”

Jihoon frowned. “You say that, but you’re the biggest idiot I know. I know you'll do something stupid, so how can I not worry?”

Soonyoung peppered kisses along his face, and damn him, because Jihoon melted with each one. “You’ll be there with me anyway, right?”

“Yeah,” Jihoon grumbled. “Someone has to make sure you don’t fucking die or anything.”

Soonyoung tilted his head back in laughter. “Perfect. I’ll be fine.”

Jihoon sighed. A powerful shield like him, yet he found himself weak at the knees whenever Soonyoung so much as breathed in his direction.

It was awful. He was utterly enamoured, and it was awful.

“Ready?” Soonyoung asked, slipping his hand into Jihoon’s. Their fingers found each other, filling in the empty spaces between them, even filling up Jihoon’s heart to the brim.

Jihoon closed the distance between them, and Soonyoung’s nose nuzzled along his cheeks. “I should be asking you that.”

Soonyoung kissed him one, then twice. He laughed. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Jihoon pulled him in again for a third kiss. Soonyoung tasted sweet and familiar, something he'd gotten used to, yet found himself savouring as if it was the first time they'd ever kissed.

They walked in, hand in hand, and all Jihoon could think as he watched Soonyoung get excited over training again was this: _we made it out of the fire, we made it home_.

**Author's Note:**

> this was fun to write, even though it took me so long idojgifgjfd i love you pam!!  
> i'd also like to maybe one day expand on this with the other kids...because i want to give them more love uwu maybe maybe maybe


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